Track Listing

1. Mass Romantic
2. The Fake Headlines
3. The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
4. Mystery Hours
5. Jackie
6. Letter From An Occupant
7. To Wild Homes
8. The Body Says No
9. Execution Day
10. Centre For Holy Wars
11. The Mary Martin Show
12. Breakin� The Law

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5365 in Music
• Released on: 2002-04-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
The joie de vivre that oozes out of this stupidly contagious power pop record sounds as if a bunch of friends just went into the studio to make the sort of record they'd like to hear on a night out. And that's pretty much what Mass Romantic is. Members of various Canadian bands took time out to make new wave sound fun again, giving it garage rock grit and glam rock insanity. As the band say in the sleeve notes: "it's hard to remember who played what, it was all a blaze of pipe organ, Wurlitzer, mini koog, and what have you". It's this spirited approach that give us 40 minutes of energetic, upbeat Brill Building pop simplicity in a head-on collision with rugged alternative rock charm. It's music made for cruising in a car with your elbows in the breeze, all clattering drums, infectious harmonies and neat tunes that's just irresistible. --Ben Clancy

CD Description
It is easy to trace the influences of the New Pornographers. Ghosts of the Beatles, Big Star, T. Rex, David Bowie, and legions of underground power-pop bands all bubble up throughthe songs on MASS ROMANTIC, the Vancouver-based rock band'sdebut. Yet far from sounding derivative, or like a rehashedrock history lesson, MASS ROMANTIC is a minor pop masterpiece (in part due to how craftily these influences have been synthesized via the masterful songwriting on offer). From theopening blast of the title track to the closing chords of "Breakin' the Law", MASS ROMANTIC is non-stop aural pleasure.
Comprised of members from several other acclaimed indie bands, including Dan Bejar (Destroyer), Carl Newman (Zampuno), and Neko Case (whose solo country albums are also recommended), the New Pornographers ride high with fierce pop energy, lush harmonies, and songwriting that emphasizes irrepressible melodies. While on one hand it seems the band's sound--which fuses 1960s Beatles-esque smarts with '70s power-pop propulsion and '80s new wave edginess--is its strongest asset, the fact that the record has more hooks than a bait-and-tackle shop is what will keep listeners coming back for more. A true must-have gem.

Customer Reviews

In the streetlight dawn, this beat turns on...
While Wilco's 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' is the best album of 2001 released in 2002, 'Mass Romantic' is the best 2000 album released in 2002. And hearing it now, I feel a little cheated that I've not had the pleasure of this soundtracking my life since its North-American release in late 2000.

So, it was down to a sampler with Uncut magazine and its inclusion of the title track- sung by Neko Case (who, with her boyfriends made another great song, the John Peel fave 'Twist the Knife'). But this song?- I had to play it on repeat all night.

'Mass Romantic' is contender for the best pop song of all time. It sounds like Paul Morley's OTT NME hyperbole regarding Kim Wilde. Imagine Blondie, Madder Rose,Liz Phair and Magnetic Fields colliding and making something with the heavenly quality of The Go Go's 'Head Over Heels' or Sparks 'Hasta Manana Monsieur'. The last songs to really do it for me this way were 'Cannonball' by The Breeders and 'Sweet Lovin Man' by Magnetic Fields. Imagine Suzi Quatro being backed by THe Smiths...

The rest of the album is almost as great- 'The Fake Headlines' the meeting point of Belle & Sebastian and The Jayhawks. While 'The Slow Descent into Alcoholism' sounds like THe Wondermints playing 'Submarine Bells'. Or The Cars covered by Apples in Stereo. Or Stevie Nicks giving backing vocals to The Russian Futurists. Best false ending since either A-Ha's 'I've Been Losing You' or Big Black's 'L Dopa'.This, as XTC sang, is POP!!!

Yes, POP- something that has been derided by shallow exponents such as Britney and Steps or neuteured by irony by Blur and U2. 'Mystery Hours' makes you wonder if this can get any better- one of the three male singers' sounds like Ultra Vivid Scene's Kurt Ralske fronting a 'Beauty & the Beat' song. "The sound of the collective groaning"- there's a hint of Pulp keyboard'wise and if you dig the perfect pop of The Posies or Sloan. Much better than the hype of HIves, Vines and White Stripes- who are just poor man's Stooges, Nirvana and Violent Femmes respectively.

'Jackie' sounds a cross between Vic Goddard and The Go Betweens- except with a Roxy styled guitar ('Casanova') and those sublime harmonics from Case and co. Neko takes the lead vocals again on 'Letter from an Occupant'- if Joan Jett had been the lead singer in Throwing Muses? Great wooh's and the lyrical assurance of "that tune you'll be humming forever".

'To Wild Homes' is the closest to alt-country here- though with a pop edge that could be Todd Rundgren or Mull Historical Society and everyone takes turn to sing, like The Band on 'To Kingdom Come'. A very under-rated effect! 'The Body Says No' sounds like Dennis Wilson playing 'Got to Know the Woman' with The Knack. This is a good thing- as great as Janeane Garofelo singing 'My Sharona'.

'Execution Day' blends new wave synths with high-pitched vocies- this is what Blur would have sounded like around 'Modern Life is Rubbish' if they had any originality. 'Centre for Holy Wars' injects more perfect pop into the mix, those backing vocals- if Van Dyke Parks had recorded the soundtrack to 'The Breakfast Club'? Oh, this one has that dizzy feeling of falling towards another welcoming mouth and proof that a song can evoke that Proustian feeling even if it's about the GATT agreement. One for Douglas Coupland to do the twist with Amber Benson to. Oh yes.

'The Mary Martin Show' is a collision of eras, a bit like X-Ray Spex meets Almost Famous meets My So Called Life meets The Ice Storm meets Flirting. Another of the best pop songs ever. 'Breakin the Law' concludes this great debut album and no, it isn't a Judas Priest cover. But it does have kids singing on it, a la Smog's 'Knock Knock' or Talk Talk's 'The Colour of Spring'. This is a good thing.

'Mass Romantic' is an album you need. As great as Jim O'Rourke or Gemma Hayes or Wilco albums this year. Greater...Let's hope The New Pornographers will visit these shores and that if they release an album in Canada in 2002, that it will come out here sooner than 2004. This beat turns on indeed; next person who moans about contemporary music- listen to this and weep...